Sophie Rickett

From the www.restrooms.org archives:

Chris writes: I wonder why only the women in the south of Europe pee standing? In Scandinavia and Germany most women don't think it can be done even if they wear a short skirt. The girl in the top-photo is Sophie Rickett, a London artist who amazed many men when she peed against famous London buildings just to prove that a woman could do it.

And again:

St. Joseph man writes more: Thanks for your response to my first message. I have been doing a little more research, and it looks like I was wrong - Sophie Rickett's photograph was NOT faked. I found an interview with Sophie in the April/May 1997 issue of Creative Camera (a british photography magazine), in which she talks about the series: she says, "The images are *not* manipulated - this was something I did."

I guess the reason I doubted the veracity of the pictures was not so much that I didn't think it was possible but more because I found it hard to believe that a woman would not only urinate standing up in public, but would allow herself to be photographed in the act. Outside of pornography, I would have thought most women would be much too inhibited about that sort of thing. I seem to have been proved wrong.

Anyway - there is also a review of the original gallery showing of ms. Rickett's photos in Creative Camera issue # 338 (I think that's the January/February, 1996 issue); the review includes reproductions of two more pictures from the series. you could probably find back issues of Creative Camera in the art department of a good sized city public library.

Here's another quote from the interview, which you might find especially apropos: "There's a very down to earth, pragmatic sense to the work that's liberating simply because they dared to do it."

Keep up the good work.

What a claim to fame.

More information, or additional pictures? Please send my way.